---------- Conventional Providing a Uniform Law for Bill of exchange and Promissory Notes TITLE I - Bills of Exchange CHAPTER I. - Issue and Form of a Bill of Exchange Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4 Article 5 Article 6 Article 7 Article 8 Article 9 Article 10 CHAPTER II. - Endorsement Article 11 Article 12 Article 13 Article 14 Article 15 Article 16 Article 17 Article 18 Article 19 Article 20 CHAPTER III. - Acceptance Article 21 Article 22 Article 23 Article 24 Article 25 Article 26 Article 27 Article 28 Article 29 CHAPTER IV. - 'Avals' Article 30 Article 31 Article 32 CHAPTER V. - Maturity Article 33 Article 34 Article 35 Article 36 Article 37 CHAPTER VI. - Payment Article 38 Article 39 Article 40 Article 41 Article 42 CHAPTER VII. - Recourse for Non-Acceptance or Non-Payment Article 43 Article 44 Article 45 Article 46 Article 47 Article 48 Article 49 Article 50 Article 51 Article 52 Article 53 Article 54 CHAPTER VIII. - Intervention for Honour I. General Provisions Article 55 2. Acceptance By Intervention (For Honour) Article 56 Article 57 Article 58 3. Payment by Intervention Article 59 Article 60 Article 61 Article 62 Article 63 CHAPTER IX. - Parts of A Set, and Copies I. Parts of A Set Article 64 Article 65 Article 66 2. Copies Article 67 Article 68 CHAPTER X. - Alterations Article 69 CHAPTER XI. - Limitation of Actions Article 70 Article 71 CHAPTER XII. - General Provisions Article 72 Article 73 Article 74 TITLE II - Promissory Notes Article 75 Article 76 Article 77 Article 78 Document Information (metadata) Convention Providing a Uniform Law For Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes (Geneva, 1930) The League of Nations 1 Articles I - XI [Omitted]. TITLE I - Bills of Exchange 2 CHAPTER I. - Issue and Form of a Bill of Exchange 3 Article 1 4 A bill of exchange contains: 5 1. The term 'bill of exchange' inserted in the body of the instrument and expressed in the language employed in drawing up the instrument; 6 2. An unconditional order to pay a determinate sum of money; 7 3. The name of the person who is to pay (drawee); 8 4. A statement of the time of payment; 9 5. A statement of the place where payment is to be made; 10 6. The name of the person to whom or to whose order payment is to be made; 11 7. A statement of the date and of the place where the bill is issued; 12 8. The signature of the person who issues the bill (drawer). 13 Article 2 14 An instrument in which any of the requirements mentioned in the preceding Article is wanting is invalid as a bill of exchange, except in the cases specified in the following paragraphs: 15 A bill of exchange in which the time of payment is not specified is deemed to be payable at sight. 16 In default of special mention, the place specified beside the name of the drawee is deemed to be the place of payment, and at the same time the place of the domicile of the drawee. 17 A bill of exchange which does not mention the place of its issue is deemed to have been drawn in the place mentioned beside the name of the drawer. 18 Article 3 19 A bill of exchange may be drawn payable to drawer's order. It may be drawn on the drawer himself. It may be drawn for account of a third person. 20 Article 4 21 A bill of exchange may be payable at the domicile of a 22 third person either in the locality where the drawee has his domicile or in another locality. Article 5 23 When a bill of exchange is payable at sight, or at a fixed period after sight, the drawer may stipulate that the sum payable shall bear interest. In the case of any other bill of exchange, this stipulation is deemed not to be written (non ?crite). 24 The rate of interest must be specified in the bill; in default of such specification, the stipulation shall be deemed not to be written (non ?crite). 25 Interest runs from the date of the bill of exchange, unless some other date is specified. 26 Article 6 27 When the sum payable by a bill of exchange is expressed in words and also in figures, and there is a discrepancy between the two, the sum denoted by the words is the amount payable. Where the sum payable by a bill of exchange is expressed more than once in words or more than once in figures, and there is a discrepancy, the smaller sum is the sum payable. 28 Article 7 29 If a bill of exchange bears signatures of persons incapable of binding themselves by a bill of exchange, or forged signatures, or signatures of fictitious persons, or signatures which for any other reason cannot bind the persons who signed the bill of exchange or on whose behalf it was signed, the obligations of the other persons who signed it are none the less valid. 30 Article 8 31 Whosoever puts his signature on a bill of exchange as representing a person for whom he had no power to act is bound himself as a party to the bill and, if he pays, has the same rights as the person for whom he purported to act. The same rule applies to a representative who has exceeded his powers. 32 Article 9 33 The drawer guarantees both acceptance and payment. He may release himself from guaranteeing acceptance- every stipulation by which he releases himself from the guarantee of payment is deemed not to be written (non ?crite). 34 Article 10 35 If a bill of exchange, which was incomplete when issued, has been completed otherwise than in accordance with the agreements entered into, the non-observance of such agreements may not be set up against the holder unless he has acquired the bill of exchange in bad faith or, in acquiring it, has been guilty of gross negligence. 36 CHAPTER II. - Endorsement 37 Article 11 38 Every bill of exchange, even if not expressly drawn to order, may be transferred by means of endorsement. 39 When the drawer has inserted in a bill of exchange the words 'not to order' or an equivalent expression, the instrument can only be transferred according to the form, and with the effects of an ordinary assignment. 40 The bill may be endorsed even in favour of the drawee, whether he has accepted or not, or of the drawer, or of any other party to the bill. These persons may re- endorse the bill. 41 Article 12 42 An endorsement must be unconditional. Any condition to which it is made subject is deemed not to be written (non ?crite). A partial endorsement is null and void. An endorsement 'to bearer' is equivalent to an endorsement in blank. 43 Article 13 44 An endorsement must be written on the bill of exchange or on a slip affixed thereto (allonge). It must be signed by the endorser. 45 The endorsement may leave the beneficiary unspecified or may consist simply of the signature of the endorser (endorsement in blank). In the latter case, the endorsement, to be valid, must be written on the back of the bill of exchange or on the slip attached thereto (allonge). 46 Article 14 47 An endorsement transfers all the rights arising out of a bill of exchange. If the endorsement is in blank, the holder may: 48 1. Fill up the blank either with his own name or with the name of some other person; 49 2. Re-endorse the bill in blank, or to some other person; 50 3. Transfer the bill to a third person without filling up the blank, and without endorsing it. 51 Article 15 52 In the absence of any contrary stipulation, the endorser guarantees acceptance and payment. He may prohibit any further endorsement; in this case, he gives no guarantee to the persons to whom the bill is subsequently endorsed. 53 Article 16 54 The possessor of a bill of exchange is deemed to be the lawful holder if he establishes his title to the bill through an uninterrupted series of endorsements, even if the last endorsement is in blank. In this connection, cancelled endorsements are deemed not to be written (non ?crits). When an endorsement in blank is followed by another endorsement, the person who signed this last endorsement is deemed to have acquired the bill by the endorsement in blank. 55 Where a person has been dispossessed of a bill of exchanged, in any manner whatsoever, the holder who establishes his right thereto in the manner mentioned in the preceding paragraph is not bound to give up the bill unless he has acquired it in bad faith, or unless in acquiring it he has been guilty of gross negligence. 56 Article 17 57 Persons sued on a bill of exchange cannot set up against the holder defences founded on their personal relations with the drawer or with previous holders, unless the holder, in acquiring the bill, has knowingly acted to the detriment of the debtor. 58 Article 18 59 [...]... he pays a bill of exchange, the rights 107 arising out of the bill of exchange against the person guaranteed and against those who are liable to the latter on the bill of exchange 108 CHAPTER V - Maturity Article 33 109 A bill of exchange may be drawn payable: 110 At sight; 111 At a fixed period after sight; 112 At a fixed period after date; 113 At a fixed date 114 Bills of exchange at other maturities... at the address of a 74 third party or in a locality other than that of the domicile of the drawee, or, except in the case of a bill drawn payable at a fixed period after sight, the drawer may prohibit presentment for acceptance He may al so stipulate that presentment for acceptance 75 shall not take place before a named date Unless the drawer has prohibited acceptance, every 76 endorser may stipulate... he is the drawer, has a direct action on the bill of exchange against the acceptor for all that can be demanded in accordance with Articles 48 and 49 Article 29 Where the drawee who has put his acceptance on a bill has cancelled it before restoring the bill, acceptance is deemed to be refused Failing proof to the contrary, the cancellation is deemed to have taken place before the bill was restored... tenor of the bill of exchange operates as a refusal to accept Nevertheless, the acceptor is bound according to the terms of his acceptance Article 27 When the drawer of a bill has indicated a place of 87 88 payment other than the domicile of the drawee without specifying a third party at whose address payment must be made, the drawee may name such third party at the time of acceptance In default of this... 127 days Article 37 When a bill of exchange is payable on a fixed day in a 128 129 place where the calendar is different from the calendar in the place of issue, the day of maturity is deemed to be fixed according to the calendar of the place of payment When a bill of exchange drawn between two places having different calendars is payable at a fixed period after date, the day of issue is referred to... terms of the original text 270 271 272 CHAPTER XI - Limitation of Actions Article 70 All actions arising out of a bill of exchange against the 273 274 acceptor are barred after three years, reckoned from the date of maturity Actions by the holder against the endorsers and against 275 the drawer are barred after one year from the date of a protest drawn up within proper time, or from the date of maturity... protest and a receipted account Every endorser who has taken up and paid a bill of 196 exchange may cancel his own endorsement and those of subsequent endorsers Article 51 In the case of the exercise of the right of recourse after 197 198 a partial acceptance, the party who pays the sum in respect of which the bill has not been accepted can require that this payment shall be specified on the bill and that... instalments are null and void 134 CHAPTER VI - Payment Article 38 The holder of a bill of exchange payable on a fixed day 135 136 or at a fixed period after date or after sight must present the bill for payment either on the day on which it is payable or on one of the two business days which follow The presentment of a bill of exchange at a clearing- 137 house is equivalent to a presentment for payment... maturities or payable by 115 instalments are null and void Article 34 A bill of exchange at sight is payable on presentment It 116 117 must be presented for payment within a year of its date The drawer may abridge or extend this period These periods may be abridged by the endorsers The drawer may prescribe that a bill of exchange 118 payable at sight must not be presented for payment before a named date In... drawee has notified his acceptance 94 in writing to the holder or to any party who has signed the bill, he is liable to such parties according to the terms of his acceptance 95 CHAPTER IV - 'Avals' Article 30 Payment of a bill of exchange may be guaranteed by an 96 97 'aval' as to the whole or part of its amount This guarantee may be given by a third person or even 98 by a person who has signed as a . ---------- Conventional Providing a Uniform Law for Bill of exchange and Promissory Notes TITLE I - Bills of Exchange CHAPTER I. - Issue and Form of a Bill of Exchange. Bills of Exchange 2 CHAPTER I. - Issue and Form of a Bill of Exchange 3 Article 1 4 A bill of exchange contains: 5 1. The term &apos ;bill of exchange& apos;